These Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars are everything you love about fall in one bite! A buttery graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake, cozy spiced apples, and a crumbly topping. Best part? No water bath needed, just a simple square pan and you're good to go.
I've really been enjoying making cheesecake bars lately! They're so fun, require no water bath, and can be made ahead for parties or just to enjoy. These Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars are adapted from my full Apple Crumble Cheesecake recipe, but the best part is that they're easier to make, and you don't have to worry about lining the pan and prepping a water bath. They start off with a base cinnamon cheesecake that is poured over a graham cracker crust, then topped with spiced tender apples, and finished with a crisp topping.
If you love apple desserts, try my Apple Cheesecake Brioche Buns, Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake, Salted Caramel Apple Bars, Brown Butter Apple Blondies, and Apple Frangipane Galette.
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♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
All the cozy fall flavors - Spiced apples, a buttery crisp topping, and creamy cheesecake come together in every bite.
No fuss baking - No water bath or springform pan needed; just mix, layer, and bake in a simple square pan.
Perfect texture combo - Creamy, crunchy, buttery, and crumbly all at once.
Make-ahead friendly - These Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars taste even better the next day after chilling, so they're perfect for prepping ahead of a gathering.
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Graham Cracker Crust
- Graham crackers: I like using graham crackers for the crust, but you can also use digestive cookies.
- Sugar: Brown sugar for the crust, dark or light works fine.
- Cinnamon: A little cinnamon to create flavor.
- Butter: Unsalted butter, melted.
Cheesecake Filling
- Cream cheese: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, and use full fat blocks of cream cheese.
- Sugar: Brown sugar for this recipe. Both dark or light work.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg. If you like, you can add a pinch of other fall spices like allspice, cloves.
- Flour: Just a little all purpose flour for the filling.
- Eggs: Large eggs, and make sure they're at room temperature so that they can incorporate well into the batter.
- Vanilla extract: Love adding vanilla extract for flavoring.
- Sour cream: For a little tang. You can substitute with greek yogurt as well.
Spiced Apples & Crisp Topping
- Apples: I love using honeycrisp because that's what I typically buy because I love the taste. Feel free to use an apple variety that you enjoy in baking.
- Sugar: Brown sugar for both the crisp and the apples.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg to create a fall flavor.
- Flour: All purpose flour for the crumble topping.
- Oats: I love using quick oats because I usually buy that to eat for breakfast, but if all you have is old fashion, you could use that, or you could pulse it a few times before adding it to the crisp topping.
- Butter: Melted butter for the crisp topping.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Baking Pan: My favorite 8 inch Square USA pan is from USA pan. It has straight edges, bakes evenly, and never fails. I highly recommend purchasing a good quality baking pan for your cakes.
Mixing bowls: I love using glass Mixing Bowls when making batters and doughs.
Mixer: You can use a stand mixer or a handheld mixer for the cheesecake.
⇄ Substitutions
Digestive cookies: In place of graham crackers, use digestive cookies if you can't find any graham crackers.
Sugar: You can use either dark or light brown sugar for this recipe.
Greek Yogurt: If you don't have any sour cream, use greek yogurt.
Cornstarch: Instead of flour, you can use cornstarch.
✨ Variations
Biscoff Crust: You can jazz things up by making a biscoff cookie crust instead of a regular graham cracker crust, like my Biscoff Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Caramel sauce: Drizzle your cheesecake with caramel sauce. You can find a wonderful recipe for homemade caramel sauce on my blog.
Nuts: Add pecans or walnuts to the crisp for a bit more of a crunch.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1
Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until crushed, then mix in the sugar, then add the melted butter.
Alternate method: If you don't have a food processor, use a Ziploc bag and crush the cookies using a rolling pin.
Pour crushed graham crackers into the pan and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. You can use a spoon, offset spatula, or flat measuring cup to create a smooth, flat bottom. Don't press too hard. Just until it's compact. Bake for 8 minutes. Once baked, remove and let cool.
While it bakes, prep the crumble by adding all the ingredients in a bowl and mix and set aside. In another bowl, add the blueberries, flour, sugar, and lemon zest, mix and set aside.
Step 2
In a pan over medium heat, add the butter and brown sugar. Once the butter and brown sugar are melted and combined, add the diced apples and spices and let cook until tender.
Step 3
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, quick oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then add the melted butter. It should be pretty crumbly. Set aside.
Step 4
In a large mixing bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and sugar and beat together on medium speed until well combined, smooth, and creamy - about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and sides.
Add the sour cream, and beat together until combined. Scrape down the bowl and add vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon and flour (optional) and mix until combined.
Lastly, and eggs and beat until combined. Don't over mix. Just until all the eggs are combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Step 5
Top with apples, and lastly, top with crumble topping.
Bake for 40-45 minutes. When done baking, the sides of the cheesecake will have puffed up and set. The middle of the cheesecake will have a slight jiggle. If it's still too wobbly, add another 5 minutes to the bake.
🎩Trick: To cut perfect cheesecake, Warm your knife under warm water, then wipe it down. Slice into the cheesecake, and make sure to wipe the knife down between slices to get clean cuts. I like to run my knife under water before each cut (but make sure to wipe the knife dry before cutting).
💬 FAQ
For this cheesecake I've used honeycrisp, gala, and red delicious apples and I loved them all. If you have an apple that you love baking with, use it!
Yes! Double all the ingredients and bake in a 9x13 pan. The baking time may need a few extra minutes, so keep an eye on it near the end.
Yes! These bars actually taste even better the next day. Make them a day in advance, chill overnight, and slice before serving.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients.
Room temperature ingredients: For these cheesecake bars, it's very important that all ingredients are at room temperature, especially the cream cheese and eggs.
Full Fat Cream Cheese: Use full fat cream cheese that comes in blocks and not the tubs.
Line pans: Prep your pan with parchment paper.
Correct pan: Make sure to use the correct type of pan. Baking with metal pans yields better results.
Don't over mix: Once eggs are incorporated, stop mixing. Over mixing could result in cracks.
Don't over bake: Start checking the cheesecake bars at 40 minutes to ensure you don't over bake.
Cool to room temperature: Once baked, make sure to cool completely at room temperature.
Refrigerate overnight: For best results, refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Cut clean slices: Warm your knife under warm water, then wipe it down. Slice into the cheesecake, and make sure to wipe the knife down between slices to get clean cuts. I like to run my knife under water before each cut (but make sure to wipe the knife dry before cutting).
❄ Storage
Store cheesecake covered and refrigerated for 4-5 days.
📖 Recipe Card
Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- 1 8x8 square metal baking pan
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1½ cups (170 g) graham crackers about 11 full sheets
- 2 tablespoon (24 g) brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 tablespoon (70 g) (85g) unsalted butter melted
Apples
- 2 cups apples pealed and diced, about 2-3 apples (see notes about apples)
- 2 tablespoon (28 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
Crumble Topping
- ½ cup (60 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (40 g) quick oats
- ⅓ cup (66 g) brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake
- 16 oz. cream cheese room temperature (see notes)
- ¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup (65 g) sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon all purpose flour optional (see notes)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 large eggs room temperature
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 325℉ and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. To keep the parchment paper in place, I like to use binder clips.
- Make the crust: Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until crushed, then mix in the sugar, then add the melted butter.Alternate method: If you don't have a food processor, use a Ziploc bag and crush the cookies using a rolling pin.1½ cups graham crackers, 2 tablespoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 5 tablespoon (85g) unsalted butter
- Pour crushed graham crackers into the pan and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. You can use a spoon, offset spatula, or flat measuring cup to create a smooth, flat bottom. Don't press too hard. Just until it's compact. Bake for 8 minutes. Once baked, remove and let cool.
Apples
- In a pan over medium heat, add the butter and brown sugar. Once the butter and brown sugar are melted and combined, add the diced apples and spices and let cook until tender.2 cups apples, 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon allspice
Crumble Topping
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, quick oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then add the melted butter. It should be pretty crumbly. Set aside.½ cup all purpose flour, ½ cup quick oats, ⅓ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
Cheesecake
- Make the cheesecake: In a large mixing bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and sugars and beat together on medium speed until well combined, smooth, and creamy - about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and sides.16 oz. cream cheese, ¾ cup brown sugar
- Add the sour cream, and beat together until combined. Scrape down the bowl and add vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon and flour (optional) and mix until combined.¼ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoon all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Lastly, and eggs and beat until combined. Don't over mix. Just until all the eggs are combined. If you feel like you might over mix the eggs, you can crack the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk them, then add them to the batter and mix.3 large eggs
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then top with apples, and lastly, top with crumble topping.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. When done baking, the sides of the cheesecake will have puffed up and set. The middle of the cheesecake will have a slight jiggle. If it's still too wobbly, add another 5 minutes to the bake.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely, then place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Tips for cutting cheesecake: Warm your knife under warm water, then wipe it down. Slice into the cheesecake, and make sure to wipe the knife down between slices to get clean cuts. I like to run my knife under water before each cut (but make sure to wipe the knife dry before cutting).
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